


Late Night Shopping

by LegendaryBiologist13



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: A3! Rarepairs Week 2020, Acting, Damsels in Distress, F/M, Ficlet, Late at Night, bad boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25283404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendaryBiologist13/pseuds/LegendaryBiologist13
Summary: Tsumugi saw Izumi getting harassed by thugs. He knew he was far from athletic, but for his director's sake, he'd do his best.Written for A3! Rarepair Week Day 3Prompt: One's Fear
Relationships: Tachibana Izumi/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 66
Collections: A3! Rare Pairs Week 2020





	Late Night Shopping

Who wasn't afraid of going out late at night alone? Thugs lurked in the alleys of Veludo Way, ready to pounce on defenseless prey.

Tsumugi knew he was a prey. If anything, his knowledge of self-defense only came from those times when he had to act as a fighter. When he wasn't playing such roles, he'd be neglecting strength training and whatnot, much to Tasuku's dismay.

It'd bite him back in the butt anytime soon. At night, he had a habit of heading to the convenience store, but usually with Juza. Having fought quite a lot in his life and acted for quite a long time in the action-oriented Autumn Troupe, Juza was more than willing to accompany him whenever Tsumugi felt like doing late night shopping trips. _"'cause you always help me with my homework,"_ Juza had always told him.

Tonight, though, Juza had a heap of homework to do. Tsumugi was sure that Juza wouldn't mind putting aside his homework to accompany him, but as a mentor figure for the high schoolers in Mankai, he shouldn't do something that'd affect Juza's academic performance.

It'd have been a smooth trip if Tsumugi hadn't come across this sight in a dark alleyway.

Three men surrounded Izumi, with one of them pinning her to the wall. "What are you doing out here, pretty lady?" one of the ruffians asked, casting a wolfish grin at the trembling Izumi.

Tsumugi gulped. Three punks. Three tall, athletic punks. If he ran to the rescue, those guys would immediately beat him to a pulp. But he couldn't just leave his dearest director alone, could he? She'd helped him regain his confidence and passion in theater after all.

As Izumi screamed and the punks laughed, Tsumugi surveyed the alley for something he could use as a weapon or even better, a trap.

An empty bottle on the ground gave him an idea. It lay a little too far for him to pick up without startling the thugs, but on a good position as a trap.

 _Would this work?_ Tsumugi wondered as he shivered a bit, his heart hammering wildly against his chest. _What if this didn't work?_ Then he thought of treating it as an etude; he had yet to play a bad boy role in his life, so it'd be a good practice.

Tsumugi swallowed again, then shouted, "Hey, pick someone on your own size!"

The thugs stared at him. "Oh, just a small fry," one of them said.

Staring back at them, Tsumugi clenched a fist and wagged his fingers - a gesture he'd picked up from watching Banri and Juza square off on a daily basis. "Come and fight me like a man!" For some reason, this was so exhilarating that Tsumugi wanted to fight the thugs for real.

"Are you brave or stupid?" A thug walked towards him, cracking his knuckles. "You don't look like someone who can fight."

"Just one of you?" Tsumugi sighed. "What's wrong with the other two? Too afraid of me?" He spat. "Chickens."

"What?"

As expected, the two thugs took the bait; what was more, all of them were rushing at him like angry bulls. Tsumugi ran into the alley, still glaring at the thugs.

One of the punks stepped on the bottle and crashed into the ground. As the other two tripped over the fallen thug, Tsumugi snatched Izumi's hand. "Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Both of them ran past the recuperating thugs, out of the dark alley, and towards the brighter, more crowded area of the street - the convenience store. There they stopped running, and Tsumugi regretted not taking Tasuku's stamina training more seriously. His legs ached. His heart pounded hard and fast. Sweat dribbled down his face as he gasped for breath.

"Tsumugi, you okay?" Izumi asked. "Your hand is pretty cold."

"I'm o-okay." Breathing more steadily, he hobbled towards a nearby bench. "Let's rest up for a bit? You must be pretty tired too."

"Sure." Once both of them sat down, Izumi began, "Thanks a lot for saving me."

Tsumugi smiled, his heart beating at a more normal pace. "You're welcome."

"You were really cool as a punk! Have you ever acted as one before that?"

"Never. I just hang out very often with Banri and Juza, so I know a bit about being a punk."

"You seemed to have a lot of fun, though."

"I was actually afraid." Tsumugi looked down with a sad smile. "But I couldn't stand looking at those guys ganging up on you, so I thought...I could hide my fear by treating it as an etude."

"You're amazing!" Izumi placed a hand on Tsumugi's, at which his cheeks flushed and his heartbeat accelerated again. "How about we go on a late night shopping trip sometimes? Just the two of us?"

"Er… I-if that's okay with you, Director."

Honestly, Tsumugi couldn't wait until the next late night shopping trip with Izumi; it felt so good to have the director rely on him. Moreover, acting as a punk, especially to protect her, was a lot of fun.


End file.
